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| OhmyNews International Citizen Reporters' Forum |
| From June 23-26, OMNI's global network will come to Seoul to discuss online journalism's potential |
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OhmyNews (internews)  |
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Published 2005-05-03 20:28 (KST) |
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Date: June 23 - 26, 2005
Main venue: COEX Convention Hall
Main Hotel: Oakwood Premier, Bestwestern Gangnam
Introduction by Oh Yeon-ho, OhmyNews founder and CEO
Five years ago, OhmyNews pioneered citizen participatory journalism on the Net. Since then, OhmyNews has attracted global attention, especially after it played a vital role in electing the reformist candidate Roh Moo Hyun as the current president of Korea. OhmyNews has now more than 38,000 citizen reporters writing for the Korean and International edition including 600 international citizen reporters.
Al Gore, the former U.S. vice president, is launching his own version of citizen participatory TV journalism on the Web this August called Current.tv which mobilizes thousands of amateur videographer citizen journalists.
Turn your eyes to East Asia and Livedoor, a major Japanese portal, has recently launched its own citizen participatory journalism site after a number of its staff visited OhmyNews last year and examined our news room and editorial system.
At this very moment, countless scholars, media pundits and aspiring media entrepreneurs are studying OhmyNews as the most prominent model of successful citizen participatory journalism on the Web.
With this backdrop of global attention, this June, OhmyNews is holding the first International Citizen Reporters' Forum in Seoul. Boasting near 80% broadband penetration, South Korea's capital is the birthplace of OhmyNews and is thus the most appropriate place for such an international forum.
More than 300 citizen reporters from OhmyNews and OhmyNews International, who hail from both inside and outside Korea, will come to Seoul to discover the inner face of OhmyNews and share their experiences as citizen reporters.
A "who's who" of global citizen participatory journalism will be also invited to the Seoul forum. The list of invitees includes the dignitaries that represent Wikinews, Livedoor, JanJan and MyMissourian.com.
During the forum, the leaders of new media ventures will share their experiences and insights into their experiments and examine them further to identify the best way forward in this dynamic field.
A one-day IT tour covering Korea's hottest technology spots will be on offer to the participants. At the ubiquitous lifestyle showroom located in downtown Seoul, visitors can have a first-hand look at what it would be like to live as a member of a truly wired, ubiquitous society. The tour will include visits to the leading Korean IT firms such as Samsung, Naver and SK Communication.
Come and join us in Seoul to find out more about the latest developments in citizen participatory journalism and the exciting future of ubiquitous digital media.
Oh Yeon Ho, CEO and Founder of OhmyNews
At a Glance
Dates: June 23 ~ 26, 2005
Number of participants:
A total of 380 participants, including 100 international citizen reporters from all around the world, 180 Korean citizen reporters, dignitaries from citizen participatory news media, scholars and general audience interested in the media industry, and Korean and foreign journalists
Venue: COEX Convention Hall
Hotel: Best Western Gangnam, Oakwood Premier
Hosted by OhmyNews
Objectives of the International Citizen Reporters' Forum
International citizen reporters visit major technology hotspots in Korea and witness the direction of future media development
Mutual understanding will be promoted through one-on-one matching of a Korean citizen reporter and an international citizen reporter
Participants will seek ways to nurture participatory journalism in countries around the world and discuss matters of mutual concern to international Netizens
International citizen reporters from dozens of countries will write stories about their experiences in Korea and post them on OhmyNews Korean edition and OhmyNews International
Key Speakers
Erik Möller, Founder of Wikinews: Wikimedia, famous for its Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia that relies on massively distributed spontaneous contributions from Netizens, has started an experiment which applies the same model to news. Objectivity of its news is maintained by allowing anyone to post articles and leave them open to multiple attempts of re-editing. Will the automated editing system based on massively distributed news contribution become the future of citizen media? Let's listen to their answers.
Ken Takeuchi, President of JanJan: JanJan is an online participatory media founded two years ago in Japan, modeled on OhmyNews. Mr. Takeuchi will explain the company's operational results and unveil its vision for another leap forward.
Shintaro Tabata, Head of news service at Livedoor: Livedoor, Japan's major portal, is attempting a citizen participatory news media by modifying its blog service. What will be the outcome of their news venture, which has benchmarked OhmyNews? Will Japanese Netizens, who are not generally active in commenting on social issues, be willing to speak out?
Dr. Clyde Bentley, Associate Professor, Missouri School of Journalism: Dr. Bentley is currently experimenting with a participatory community media called "MyMissourian.com", one of his academic projects. He will share his experiences on the project with participants.
Jeremy Iggers, Author and Journalist: Mr. Iggers is in the process of developing a citizen participatory news project called "The Twin Cities Daily Planet" in Minneapolis. He will present and discuss how citizens participate in community media and lay out plans and themes.
Neil Thurman, Associate Professor, City University London: BBC, the Guardian, and other big-name UK media are trying to develop their Internet news arms. Prof. Thurman has done extensive research on their development projects and will present how they are trying to transform themselves by employing citizen participation.
Yoo Hyun Oh, President and CEO of SK Communication: Since he joined the company in 2004 as CEO, Mr. Yoo has led the success of Cyworld, a phenomenally popular Korean mini homepage service. He will explain its inner workings and current progress and, in the process, expose how Korean Netizens communicate among themselves in cyber space.
Chia Hao Hsu, OhmyNews International Citizen Reporter: A keen observer of Taiwan's dot-com industry, Mr. Hsu will tell us about the media situation in his country. He will also examine the possibility of citizen participatory journalism in Taiwan's fiercely competitive news market.
Oh Yeon Ho, CEO and Founder of OhmyNews: OhmyNews has attracted international attention by successfully launching the first citizen participatory news service in Korea. With over 38,000 Netizens both in and outside of Korea participating as citizen reporters as of this June, Oh will discuss the company's achievements over the past five years and its future visions.
Citizen Reporters Invited as Speakers
Korean citizen reporters:
Kang In Kyu: Mr. Kang is working on his doctoral thesis at the University of Wisconsin and writes media analyses, film reviews and stories on other issues.
Goh Tae Jin: An average citizen running a small business in Daegu, Mr. Goh writes columns on political and social issues.
Kim Hye Won: A homemaker, Ms. Kim mostly writes essays and musings on her daily life.
Lee Bong Ryul: An engineer in a semiconductor plant near Seoul, Mr. Lee writes about his life at work and his views on contemporary Korean society.
Other key citizen reporters will be introduced as well, including Lee Eun Hwa, an undergarment shop owner who made $5,000 in a couple of days by writing to OhmyNews.
OhmyNews International citizen reporters invited as Speakers
Alex Krabbe (Germany): A medical student at Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University of Greifswald, Pomerania, Mr. Krabbe has written 40 articles in less than a year.
Ana Maria Brambilla (Brazil): Ms. Brambilla is a graduate student in communications and a journalist from Porto Alegre.
Nguyen Ngoc Trung (Vietnam): Mr. Nguyen is a journalist based in Hanoi.
Omid Habibinia (Iran): Mr. Habibinia is an exiled Iranian journalist and media researcher living in Switzerland.
Chia Hao Hsu (Taiwan): An undergraduate student at National Taiwan University (NTU), Mr. Hsu is the former president of NTU Student News.
Invitation to International Citizen Reporters
The invitation is open to citizen reporters who have at least five articles selected as ingul, or higher level articles, before June 5, the last day of the public invitation
More points will be given to the citizen reporters who attracted a number of new citizen reporters to subscribe through recommendation
Special consideration will be given to citizen reporters who have contributed to the advancement of OhmyNews International through various other channels
Expected number of invited citizen reporters by region: North America (10), South America (5), Europe (20), Japan (7), Asia (10)
Selection Process for Korean Aides to Assist International Citizen Reporters
50 aides will be selected as volunteer interpreters among Korean citizen reporters
Selected aides will be teamed up with international and Korean citizen reporters and will accompany them throughout the event.
Daily Programs
DAY 1: Thursday, June 23
Reception and First Meeting with International Citizen Reporters
Korean citizen reporters, who have been selected in advance, will welcome the international citizen reporters at COEX on Thursday evening. They will act as interpreters and volunteers during the forum and team up with international citizen reporters on a one-on-one basis, serving as aides to help answer questions of international citizen reporters and offer assistance during their stay in Korea. Furthermore, as citizen reporters with more experience, they will share their experiences and encourage ongoing exchanges with their foreign counterparts in the future.
Registration of forum participants: Best Western Premier Gangnam Hotel
Board KAL Limousine #3 at Incheon International Airport
Get off at Novotel hotel
Registration: exchange of I.D. tags and team assignment
Assignment of hotel rooms: Two persons will share each room
Information packet including program pamphlets and travel guide will be handed out with welcoming gift
19:00-21:00: Welcome Reception at the hotel restaurant
Hosted by Oh Yeon Ho, CEO of OhmyNews
Citizen reporters and key speakers are invited to the reception
22:00-24:00: Group Meetings
Introduction of group members and "ice-breaking"
Selection of group leaders
Briefing on the forum programs
DAY 2: Friday, June 24
International Citizen Reporters Meet "IT Korea"
International citizen reporters and key speakers will visit some of the world's leading IT infrastructure and technology hotspots in Korea and get a glimpse of the evolution of future media. Participants will take a look at Korea's Internet infrastructure, the physical foundation of OhmyNews, as well as advanced wired and wireless telecommunications devices. They will see for themselves how the lives of Netizens are evolving in a technologically vibrant environment.
07:00-09:00: Breakfast at the Hotel Restaurant
09:00-11:00: Korea IT Fam-Tour: Morning Tour
Visit to Ubiquitous Dream Hall at the Ministry of Information and Communication (first and second-round visiting groups will be admitted at 30-minute intervals)
Visitors are divided into two groups to board a separate bus
Chartered bus #2 will pick up key speakers at Oakwood Premier and join the rest of the group
11:00-12:00: Tour of OhmyNews Newsroom
12:00-13:30 Tour of Downtown Seoul, Hosted by Lee Myung Bak, Mayor of Seoul City
International citizen reporters will have lunch with OhmyNews staff reporters
After the luncheon, a presentation will be made on Seoul's urban redevelopment project
Guided tour of the Cheonggyecheon restoration site by Mayor Lee
13:30-16:00: Tour of Samsung Electronics Showroom
Citizen reporters will tour Samsung's showroom, which houses its latest gadgets, and explore the company's history
Citizen reporters will be assigned to one of two groups and take turns touring two different showrooms
International Citizen Reporters Meet with Korean Citizen Reporters (1)
Venue: COEX Grand Ballroom
An additional 100 Korean citizen reporters and 50 foreign expat citizen reporters living in Korea will join the Opening Ceremony. Oh Yeon Ho, CEO of OhmyNews, will deliver an opening speech on the roles of international citizen reporters in an era of the Internet. Citizen reporters will discuss topics to be covered during their stay in sub-groups arranged by continent. During the reception, the simultaneous interpretation service in Korean and English will be provided and VOD broadcasts will be available over the Internet on OhmyNews Korean and English editions.
19:00-19:30
Opening Ceremony: Entrance of international citizen reporters by region and opening speech, "Roles of International Citizen Reporters in the Era of the Internet," by OhmyNews CEO Oh Yeon Ho
Special lecture by Chin Dae Je, Minister of Information and Communication: "Ubiquitous Society and Future of the Media"
19:30-20:00
Dinner
20:00-21:00
Moon Kook Hyun, CEO of Yuhan Kimberly will speak about the role of citizen reporters for the betterment of global village followed by a group debate at each table
Lee Bong Ryul will present his experiences as an OhmyNews citizen reporter, followed by a group debate at each table
Citizen reporter Alex Krabbe will share his experiences with OhmyNews International, followed by a group debate at each table
Ronda Hauben, an OhmyNews International citizen reporter, will offer her account of the history of "Netizens"
Simultaneous English-Korean translation will be offered
21:00-22:00
Both international citizen reporters and Korean citizen reporters board the chartered bus and head back to the hotel
Guests will be asked to attend a meeting in the hotel meeting room
DAY 3: Saturday, June 25
Meet with Leaders of International Participatory Media
Venue: COEX conference hall #402
OhmyNews and all other international citizen participatory agencies with a strong presence in Internet media will introduce their respective business models and compare and analyze strengths (advantages) and weaknesses (disadvantages). In the second part of the sessions, six OhmyNews citizen reporters will testify how their lives have been transformed since they joined the experiment of citizen participatory journalism.
07:00-09:00: Breakfast and head to COEX: Four shuttle buses will be run between the hotel and COEX
09:00-09:50 First Session: Business Perspective
Erik Möller of Wikinews and Jean K. Min of OhmyNews International will present their companies' business model and discuss the principles and inner workings of citizen participatory media, followed by a Q&A session
Moderated by Kang In Kyu, OhmyNews citizen reporter
10:00-10:50 Second Session: Academic Perspective
Professor Clyde Bentley from the University of Missouri, the founder of MyMissourian.com and Jeremy Iggers, a reporter of the Minneapolis Star Tribune will discuss their experiments in citizen participatory journalism
Professor Neil Thurman from City University London will present on the experiment of citizen participatory journalism by major UK traditional media, including BBC and the Guardian
Moderated by Yoon Young Cheol, Professor of Journalism at Yonsei University
11:00-11:50: Third Session: Asian Perspective
Ken Takeuchi, President of JanJan, Tabata Shintaro, Head of the news service at Livedoor, and Chia Hao Hsu, an OhmyNews International citizen reporter from Taiwan, will discuss whether the citizen participatory news model can be successfully fused into an Asian cultural and social context
Moderated by Kang Ji Eun, Japanese edition editor, OhmyNews International
12:00-13:00: Lunch break: O'Kim's Brauhaus. Meal coupons will be offered at the reception
13:00-13:50: Citizen Reporters in Their Own Words (1)
Fifteen-minute speeches from three OhmyNews Korean citizen reporters about their personal experiences: Kang In Gyu, Kim Hye Won, and Goh Tae Jin
Moderated by Han Na Young, OhmyNews citizen reporter
14:00-14:50: Citizen Reporters in Their Own Words (2)
Three OhmyNews international citizen reporters will give 15-minute speeches on their personal experiences as OhmyNews citizen reporters: Omid Habibinia (Iran/Belgium), Nguyen Ngoc Trung (Vietnam), Ana Maria Brambilla (Brazil), Alex Krabbe (Germany)
Moderated by Todd Thacker, Editor, OhmyNews International
15:00-15:30: Korean Netizens: Who Are They?
Since he joined the company in 2004 as CEO, Yoo Hyun Oh has led Korean mini homepage service Cyworld. He will explain the company's inner workings and current progress, and in the process, will expose how Korean Netizens communicate in cyber space
Moderated by Jean K. Min, Director, OhmyNews International
16:00-18:00: Tour of Korea's Dot-Com Industry
Tour of Cyworld monitor center and Naver's corporate headquarters, including a presentation about the company's operation and management. Naver is one of the top three Korean portals
Visitors will be divided into two groups and tour in rotation
International Citizen Reporters Meet with Korean Citizen Reporters (2)
Venue: The main court at Korea House
Citizen reporters will assess their time during the forum and adopt the International Citizen Reporters' Declaration.
19:00-21:00: Closing Ceremony and Night of International Citizen Reporters
Closing speech and assessment of the forum by Oh Yeon Ho
Greeting from CEO of KNTO (Korea National Tourism Organization) and Dynamic Korea Advertisement
Korean-style standing buffet: Korean traditional music will be performed
Korean citizen reporters will join the group in a third batch
21:00-22:00: Gathering of citizen reporters by continent: Best Western Premier Gangnam
Citizen reporters will gather by continent and discuss ways to boost participatory journalism
Mutual exchanges of contacts and addresses of international citizen reporters
DAY 4: Sunday, June 26
Wrap-up and Farewells
Korean citizen reporter aides, who will have accompanied partner citizen reporters during the four days since the airport reception, will exchange contact details to continue exchanges with their partner citizen reporters.
09:00-10:00: Breakfast and Wrap-up
10:00~ Final Wrap-up and Departure
Board KAL Limousine Line #3 at Novotel bound for Incheon Airport
HOW TO GET THERE
Main hotel is Best Western Premier Gangnam. Complimentary shuttle service will be available between the hotel and COEX, the forum venue.
From Incheon International Airport, it takes about an hour to get to the hotel either by Korean Air Limousine or taxi.
If you choose Korean Air Limousine, take line No. 3, which shuttles around the Gangnam area. Get off at Novotel, where you can find Best Western Premier Gangnam right across the street. If you are going straight to COEX from the airport, please get off at the COEX stop. Fare is KRW12,000 or USD12.00
If you choose to go by taxi, it takes about the same time and the fare is around KRW40,000, or USD40.00
Exchange rate: KRW 1,000 = USD1.00
Electricity: 220 volts, Standard French plugs
The Korean summer is rather hot and humid with occasional heavy rains. The temperature in Seoul hovers around 28 to 30 degrees Celsius, or 82 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit, during June.
For your own casual tour around Seoul, the best option is the subway. Seoul has an extensive subway network that runs throughout the city. We will give you a tourist information package upon your arrival.
If you have a question, please contact
OhmyNews International
Phone +82 2 733 5505 Ext 119
Fax +82 2 733 5011
Email jean@ohmynews.com
Homepage http://english.ohmynews.com
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| Please note that the above schedule and list of attendees may be subject to minor changes. |
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©2005 OhmyNews
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